Punishment or Rehabilitation?
Mary Richmiller (1992), in her longitudinal study of prison chorister experiences, begins by laying out a brief description of two broad eras during the twentieth century in the development of the penitentiary. She describes the first era, lasting through the 1960's, being of a rehabilitative nature and also one that marked the development of probation and parole. The second era, which she describes as still ongoing, is an era of punishment with a decline in the reforms brought about earlier in the century. Mary Cohen (2007a) also describes the rise and decline of programs geared towards rehabilitation throughout the twentieth century. She writes, throughout the 1950's and 1960's incentives to participate in the education and rehabilitation programs were high because participation could help reduce one's sentence through parole. Parole boards, through the 1960's, also had the task of ensuring the prisoner was ready for reentry into society. Cohen also proposes that many attribute the decline in rehabilitative programs to a highly publicized study written by Robert Martinson in 1974 in which he argued that "nothing works" in regards to inmate rehabilitation. His study was championed at the time by some to "afford some scientific respectability to an ideological stance that favored punishment over rehabilitation" (p. 9). It is suggested that others with political leanings may have used this to further their cause against rehabilitation perhaps not in the way Martinson would have intended (Cohen 2007a, Miller 1989). In 1979, in "New Findings: New View", Martinson reported that some programs in certain prisons appeared have a positive effect on recidivism, specifically stating "such startling results are found again and again", but this article received little attention compared to the earlier reporting. (Cohen, 2007a, Miller 1989) Martinson, sadly, committed suicide a year later in 1980 (Miller, 1989).
Prior to 1993, prisoners were able to receive a Pell Grant from the government which was the primary funding of post-secondary education for prisoners. In light of the research that shows that education reduces recidivism or a return to prison by inmates released (Harer, 1995) (Vacca, 2004) (Salah, 1992), one wonders if there is a link between this change in approach and policy and the dramatic increase in U.S prison inmates between the years of 1978 and 2009. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2013) reports that the United States Prison system has grown from 307,276 prisoners in 1978 to a high of 1,615,487 prisoners in 2009 with a slight decline in years 2010-2012 to 1,571,013 prisoners. This number does not include those in jail or in the probation or parole system. That number, U.S. citizens on parole, probation or in jail, on the last day of 2004 was almost 7 million which is about 3.2% of all U.S. residents, or 1 in every 31 adults (Cohen, 2007a, 2009). In 2010, that number reduces to 1 in every 34 adults. (Justice of Statistics, 2012)
Mary Cohen (2009) quotes Michael G. Santos from his book: Life behind Bars in America (2006) in her prison choir study when introducing the current state of prisons with regard to education. Santos, a prisoner himself, alludes to education programs preparing inmates to "succeed" and "contribute" to society upon their release (p. 53). Cohen also sites a study by Brewster (1983) that reports a "74.20% favorable parole outcome rate for inmates who participated in an arts-based educational program in California in contrast to 49.50% favorable rate for those who did not participated. Reduced inmate incident rates were reported for 74 to 81% of the prisoners who had participated in the arts-based programs. Cohen (2007a) believes that rehabilitation is gaining more support again in more recent years. She cites a 2006 report of the Commission of Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons that indicates 87% of Americans favor rehabilitation services for prisoners rather than punishment only. The report points to the serious problem of violence prison and jail and recommends correctional education including the development of social competence and thinking skills.
Ethical Considerations-VH1 Controversy
Although, not specifically choral related, the events surrounding the airing of VH1's "Music Behind Bars" television show bring to light public perceptions and questions of ethics and victims rights regarding prison music programs. The backlash over the series really highlights the issue of punishment vs. rehabilitation in U.S. prisons. "Music Behind Bars" chronicled bands at Pennsylvania's Graterford Prison in 2002.. One of the band members was convicted of two murders, one a fifteen year old girl. The victim's mother saw her daughter's killer in a commercial for the series "making his mark in the music world"(Hirsch, 2012, p. 86). She felt as if he were being glorified as a "rock star". Another murder convict was featured on the show and this victim's family filed a law suit against VH1 claiming harassment. The controversy gained national attention when Bill O'Rielly rallied against the series and offered to help support a class action law suit. The producer of "Music Behind Bars" claimed that the show's goal was to highlight "the redemptive powers of music" and "music's role in the reduction of recidivism in prison and influence on inmates' behavior" (p. 88). In response to the negative publicity, the Governor of Pennsylvania at the time went on the O'Reilly show to very publicly denounce the prison music programs and vowed to cut all of the state's music programs, stating, "Today we're making sure that in all our prisons, no more music programs or opportunities of this kind again will be afforded to murderers" (p. 89). The prisoners had recourse though and in 2008 the case of "Young v.s Beard"was heard before a court of law. Richard Glenn Young, an inmate showcased in one of theVH1 episodes, alleged that the elimination of the music program impinged upon his right to freedom of expression. The court ruled that inmate rights may be more restricted than the general public and that the prison had the right to cut the program due to "undermined prison security" (p. 89).
Wrongful Conviction-Statistics
Another consideration is the number of potential wrongful convictions that make up our prison population. These statistics help to put the numbers into perspective...
"More than 2,000 people have been exonerated of serious crimes since 1989 in the United States, according to a report by college researchers who have established the first national registry of exonerations. 'No matter how tragic they are, even 2,000 exonerations over 23 years is a tiny number in a country with 2.3 million people in prisons and jails," says a report released by the authors. "If that were the extent of the problem we would be encouraged by these numbers. But it’s not. These cases merely point to a much larger number of tragedies that we do not know about." (anon, 2012)
From http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/more-than-2000-wrongfully-convicted-people-exonerated-in-23-years-researchers-say/
Mary Richmiller (1992), in her longitudinal study of prison chorister experiences, begins by laying out a brief description of two broad eras during the twentieth century in the development of the penitentiary. She describes the first era, lasting through the 1960's, being of a rehabilitative nature and also one that marked the development of probation and parole. The second era, which she describes as still ongoing, is an era of punishment with a decline in the reforms brought about earlier in the century. Mary Cohen (2007a) also describes the rise and decline of programs geared towards rehabilitation throughout the twentieth century. She writes, throughout the 1950's and 1960's incentives to participate in the education and rehabilitation programs were high because participation could help reduce one's sentence through parole. Parole boards, through the 1960's, also had the task of ensuring the prisoner was ready for reentry into society. Cohen also proposes that many attribute the decline in rehabilitative programs to a highly publicized study written by Robert Martinson in 1974 in which he argued that "nothing works" in regards to inmate rehabilitation. His study was championed at the time by some to "afford some scientific respectability to an ideological stance that favored punishment over rehabilitation" (p. 9). It is suggested that others with political leanings may have used this to further their cause against rehabilitation perhaps not in the way Martinson would have intended (Cohen 2007a, Miller 1989). In 1979, in "New Findings: New View", Martinson reported that some programs in certain prisons appeared have a positive effect on recidivism, specifically stating "such startling results are found again and again", but this article received little attention compared to the earlier reporting. (Cohen, 2007a, Miller 1989) Martinson, sadly, committed suicide a year later in 1980 (Miller, 1989).
Prior to 1993, prisoners were able to receive a Pell Grant from the government which was the primary funding of post-secondary education for prisoners. In light of the research that shows that education reduces recidivism or a return to prison by inmates released (Harer, 1995) (Vacca, 2004) (Salah, 1992), one wonders if there is a link between this change in approach and policy and the dramatic increase in U.S prison inmates between the years of 1978 and 2009. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2013) reports that the United States Prison system has grown from 307,276 prisoners in 1978 to a high of 1,615,487 prisoners in 2009 with a slight decline in years 2010-2012 to 1,571,013 prisoners. This number does not include those in jail or in the probation or parole system. That number, U.S. citizens on parole, probation or in jail, on the last day of 2004 was almost 7 million which is about 3.2% of all U.S. residents, or 1 in every 31 adults (Cohen, 2007a, 2009). In 2010, that number reduces to 1 in every 34 adults. (Justice of Statistics, 2012)
Mary Cohen (2009) quotes Michael G. Santos from his book: Life behind Bars in America (2006) in her prison choir study when introducing the current state of prisons with regard to education. Santos, a prisoner himself, alludes to education programs preparing inmates to "succeed" and "contribute" to society upon their release (p. 53). Cohen also sites a study by Brewster (1983) that reports a "74.20% favorable parole outcome rate for inmates who participated in an arts-based educational program in California in contrast to 49.50% favorable rate for those who did not participated. Reduced inmate incident rates were reported for 74 to 81% of the prisoners who had participated in the arts-based programs. Cohen (2007a) believes that rehabilitation is gaining more support again in more recent years. She cites a 2006 report of the Commission of Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons that indicates 87% of Americans favor rehabilitation services for prisoners rather than punishment only. The report points to the serious problem of violence prison and jail and recommends correctional education including the development of social competence and thinking skills.
Ethical Considerations-VH1 Controversy
Although, not specifically choral related, the events surrounding the airing of VH1's "Music Behind Bars" television show bring to light public perceptions and questions of ethics and victims rights regarding prison music programs. The backlash over the series really highlights the issue of punishment vs. rehabilitation in U.S. prisons. "Music Behind Bars" chronicled bands at Pennsylvania's Graterford Prison in 2002.. One of the band members was convicted of two murders, one a fifteen year old girl. The victim's mother saw her daughter's killer in a commercial for the series "making his mark in the music world"(Hirsch, 2012, p. 86). She felt as if he were being glorified as a "rock star". Another murder convict was featured on the show and this victim's family filed a law suit against VH1 claiming harassment. The controversy gained national attention when Bill O'Rielly rallied against the series and offered to help support a class action law suit. The producer of "Music Behind Bars" claimed that the show's goal was to highlight "the redemptive powers of music" and "music's role in the reduction of recidivism in prison and influence on inmates' behavior" (p. 88). In response to the negative publicity, the Governor of Pennsylvania at the time went on the O'Reilly show to very publicly denounce the prison music programs and vowed to cut all of the state's music programs, stating, "Today we're making sure that in all our prisons, no more music programs or opportunities of this kind again will be afforded to murderers" (p. 89). The prisoners had recourse though and in 2008 the case of "Young v.s Beard"was heard before a court of law. Richard Glenn Young, an inmate showcased in one of theVH1 episodes, alleged that the elimination of the music program impinged upon his right to freedom of expression. The court ruled that inmate rights may be more restricted than the general public and that the prison had the right to cut the program due to "undermined prison security" (p. 89).
Wrongful Conviction-Statistics
Another consideration is the number of potential wrongful convictions that make up our prison population. These statistics help to put the numbers into perspective...
"More than 2,000 people have been exonerated of serious crimes since 1989 in the United States, according to a report by college researchers who have established the first national registry of exonerations. 'No matter how tragic they are, even 2,000 exonerations over 23 years is a tiny number in a country with 2.3 million people in prisons and jails," says a report released by the authors. "If that were the extent of the problem we would be encouraged by these numbers. But it’s not. These cases merely point to a much larger number of tragedies that we do not know about." (anon, 2012)
From http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/more-than-2000-wrongfully-convicted-people-exonerated-in-23-years-researchers-say/